Power Spots
From shrines and temples to nature and sacred sites — a curated guide to Japan's most notable power spots.
Meoto Iwa (Futami Okitama Taisha)
Two rocks bound together by a large Shimenawa (sacred rice-straw rope) over the sea. They are symbols of marital harmony and the tying of fate.
Kotai-jingu (Ise Jingu Naiku)
The spiritual home of the Japanese people, where Amaterasu Omikami is enshrined.
Hana-no-Iwaya Jinja (Hana-no-Iwaya Shrine)
The Goshintai (sacred object of worship) is a massive rock standing 45 meters high. It is said to be the tomb of Izanami, making it one of the oldest shrines in Japan.
Kiyomizu-dera (Kiyomizu Temple)
A representative Kannon pilgrimage site in Kyoto with over 1250 years of history, famous for the 'Kiyomizu Stage'.
Kasagi-dera (Temple)
Home to a massive Miroku Rock-carved Buddha and a cluster of megaliths. It is a sacred site of Shugendo (ascetic training) where mountain worship and megalith worship are intertwined.
Kurama-dera (Kurama Temple)
One of Kyoto's premier power spots, housing the cosmic energy of Mount Kurama.
Izanagi-jingu (Izanagi Grand Shrine)
One of Japan's oldest shrines, where the deity Izanagi-no-Mikoto resides after completing the creation of the islands of Japan.
Ishi no Hoden (Ishi Shrine)
A mysterious giant stone structure measuring 6.4 meters wide, 5.7 meters high, and 7.2 meters deep. It is one of the Three Wonders of Japan.
Kamikura Jinja (Gotobiki Iwa)
The Goshintai (sacred object) is the massive rock known as 'Gotobiki Iwa' located on the mountain. It is considered the origin of Kumano faith, where Kumano Gongen first descended.
Nachi no Taki (Hiraki Shrine)
One of the three most famous waterfalls in Japan with a drop of 133 meters. The waterfall itself is the Goshintai (sacred body of the deity).
Koyasan Kongobu-ji (Temple)
A sacred site of Shingon Mikyo (Esoteric Buddhism) founded by Kobo Daishi Kukai. It is a religious city located on a mountain at an altitude of 800 meters.
Sumiyoshi Taisha (Sumiyoshi Grand Shrine)
The head shrine of approximately 2,300 Sumiyoshi shrines across Japan. It is the first shrine of Settsu Province and is affectionately known as "Sumiyossan".
Iwafune Jinja (Iwafune Shrine)
The Goshintai (sacred object) is a massive 12-meter-high boat-shaped rock known as 'Ten-Iwafune.' This is the site where Nigihayahi-no-Mikoto descended to earth.
Miwayama (Omiwa Jinja)
A sacred site of some of the oldest worship in Japan, where the mountain itself is the Goshintai (sacred body of the deity).
Omine-san (Omine Mountain)
Standing at an altitude of 1,719 meters, this is the fundamental training ground for Shugendo (ascetic mountain worship) established by En no Gyoja. It remains a sacred mountain (reizan) where the prohibition of women is still observed.
Todai-ji (Todai-ji Temple)
The head temple of the Kegon sect, founded through the devotion of Emperor Shōmu. It is a World Heritage site featuring the "Great Buddha of Nara" as its primary object of worship.
Horyu-ji (Horyu-ji Temple)
The world's oldest group of wooden structures, associated with Prince Shotoku. It was Japan's first World Heritage site.
Tamaki Jinja (Tamaki Shrine)
The Okumiya (inner sanctuary) of the Kumano Sanzan (Three<image|>Mountains of Kumano), nestled on a sacred mountain (reizan) at an altitude of 1,076 meters, known as a place that "only those who are called can reach."
Taga Taisha (Taga Grand Shrine)
Affectionately known as "O-Taga-san," this shrine enshrines the two deities, Izanagi and Izanami. It is a Grand Shrine renowned for longevity and matchmaking.
Hieizan Enryaku-ji (Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei)
The head temple of the Tendai Sect, founded by Saicho. It is a World Heritage site known for 1,200 years as the 'Mother Mountain of Japanese Buddhism'.
Coverage is expanding gradually starting with major power spots. Please check official sources before visiting, as details may change.